Ghostly Images
by Clare bear 48
Summary: Short story from October Picture challenge. 1 Sully dressed in Indian gear at the Wide West show... 2 Middle of the night with Hank and Jake in their night attire.


Ghostly Images.

By Clare Quinn

**Disclaimer I do not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The rights to those characters and to the show belong to the creators of the show, to CBS, The Sullivan Company and to A&E.**

Standing bewildered, the man they called Mountain Man in the Wild West show looked once again at an audience of rude obnoxious, loathsome people. He had been in the show for about six months after he had had an accident and woken up not knowing even something as simple as his own name.

He had been wandering around the unfamiliar city and stumbled upon Jim Mc Coy's travelling Wild West show. Mc Coy was good enough and paid well. The thing that annoyed him was his drinking and the lies he told when he introduced him to the audience which grew with every performance.

He had discovered that he had a talent with knives and the tomahawk he had on his person when he had been discovered and taken into the hospital in the city. His skill and accuracy even surprised him as he had no idea where he would acquire such a unique talent.

As he needed money and had no actual fixed place of abode he was forced into this despicable profession that irked him to the core. He had figured that if he travelled awhile he may actually discover people who could identify him. Maybe he even had a family some place.

But those were pipe dreams and so he chastised himself again. _"Why would he have a family, wouldn't they have made the effort in finding him by now?" _

So they had arrived into Colorado Spring and he was preparing for the show. He had all but given up looking for an identity and had not even bothered wandering down the town this time. In each small town he had at least attempted to be seen in the hope of being identified.

"_What is the use? I don't have a name and look at me, I'm not the conventional type with what I wear, buckskins and loose shirts and tool belt with weapons attached," _he thought despondently.

The introduction rolled on and he was being introduced as an illiterate mountain man taken from a cave in the woods and having been raised as a misfit with animals. He hated the lies that the owner made up each time but it was now his time to perform.

Dressed in the gaudy accessories that the carnival owner though fit but he knew were not as the Indians would be seen. _"How do I know these things?"_ he often wondered. He wore beads not his own and bare was chested with war paint smeared on him.

Gritting his teeth he came onto the stage and heard an audible gasp.

He commenced his routine with throwing the sharp bladed knives into the target easily. He was aware of the continual buzz and whispering with in the audience. He hadn't experienced that sort of reaction before and glanced at the people seated and the crowd, all of whom looked like they were seeing a ghost. Becoming distracted he couldn't help but feel the hairs on the back of his neck arise as he began to be heckled by two insufferable men in the first row.

"So this has been were ya' hid Sully?" the taller one with long untidy hair shouted.

"No wonder! It suits him, don't ya' think Hank?" the other carried on.

"Wonder if Doctor Mike knows he's in town as a MOUNTAIN MAN?" Hank shouted.

Still the majority of people sat silently if not still looking surprised, and awkwardly at the man in front of them.

Becoming infuriated the man wanted just to throw something at the pair and stop their nonsense once and for all.

Finally after his last stunt he couldn't think he'd get out of there as quickly as he could taking his final bow, and as he rose he looked over the meadow and saw a gorgeous woman with the most beautiful hair he'd ever seen being dragged along by an excited young blonde boy. He was reminded he was to exit but seemed glued to the spot until she looked up and stopped dead in her tracks as she saw him. Then she just fainted there and then.

Jumping off the stage he was at her side in a flash and gently picking her up in his arms. The boy said, "Take ma to the clinic, Sully."

"Where is the clinic, son?" he asked the confused boy.

Michaela came to with a jolt. She had just seen her missing fiancé of twelve months standing on the stage of a travelling Wild West show. He had gone to Denver for materials for their unfinished home and never returned. Although everyone had searched high and low from here to Denver and all the places in between he had never been found.

Opening her eyes she looked directly into his puzzled gaze.

"Sully, where have you been?" she whispered.

"Who is Sully?" he asked bewildered at why everyone was saying Sully at him, what was a Sully, he wondered.

"That is your name. You are Byron Sully," she said.

"Byron? Ya' gotta be kiddin'," he retorted.

Michaela couldn't help but smile as she recognised his adversity of his first name.

Sitting up steadily Michaela took his hand and asked what he remembered from Denver.

He told her of his losing his memory but now that he had finally found his home the slow recovery of his past began.

...

Months later, in the dead of night, after more than one jibe from Hank and Jake as he recovered his shattered memory, Sully planned his revenge.

He placed small ribbons of magnesium at intervals in the town cemetery and towards the church. Enlisting Brian and Matthew's help they had their plan ready.

Yelling loudly they attracted Jake and Hank out into the middle of the street, and the men appeared dressed in the night attire of their long john under wear and night shirt, they began lighting the row of substance.

This caused a very bright light and produced vast amounts of dense white smoke, it was something that the sleep-dazed men had never seen in their lives.

They watched as more and more cloudy images arose from the cemetery, making a path towards the church. Matthew, unseen by them hammered on the wall yelling, "Please let us in please, please!"

"Are they ghosts?" Hank asked in a low voice.

"Don't know, never seen anything like that before. Have you?" Jake quietly responded.

"GG...ghosts, sure as I'm standin' here, nothin' that bright on earth can be real," Hank said.

Sully and the boys were watching as the men paled and hastily retreated to the saloon to calm their shattered nerves.

...

As nothing was said in town Brian went and asked Jake if anything interesting had happed lately.

"No lad, should there have been?" Jake asked, his hand visibly shaking.

"No nothin', "the boy said with a smirk and left the shop giggling.

...

He reported to Sully their plan had worked a treat as neither gentle man was saying a word about their little prank but Jake had visibly gone white when asked.

Sully just nodded and said, "Good," smiling a satisfied smile.

The End


End file.
